Improvement in power-looms for weaving concave and convex surfaces



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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIGE.

ILLIAM BREITENSTEIN, OF NEWT YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN POWER-LOOMS FOR WEAVING CONCAVE AND CONVEX SURFACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,589, dated October 9, 1866.

To all whom lit may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Bum'rme STEIN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Looms for Weaving Cloth with Concave an d Convex Surfaces, suitable for making corsets and other articles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying i drawings, making part of this specification,

in which- Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front elevation, of the entire loom, Fig. 3, a rear view of the takeup mechanism, and Fig. Fig. 4 a side elevation of the same; Fig. et, a cross-section of the take-up on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5,a front view ofthe lay and sluittle mechanism; and Fig. G, a section of the lay and shuttle mechanism, and side view of the cams and connections for operating the shuttle mechanism; Fig. 7, a front view, and Fig. S a side view, of the thread-puller and mechanism for operating it.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The weaving of cloth suitable for making corsets to lit the swells and protuberances of the body has been attended with serious difficulties. It has been effected in hand-looms, but at considerable expense on account of the great amount and cost of labor.

The required shapes can only be given in yweaving by making the cloth of different lengths in different parts ofthe widths. YVherever a gore-like swell is required, it is produced by interweavin g the warps and weft in such parts of the width and suspending the interweaving in the other parts of the width.

The suspension of the interweaving operation in certain portions of the width and along desired portions of the length of the cloth is effected by suspending the operation of the inail-cords of the jacquard, so that the weftthread cannot pass between the warps in the parts so suspended while it continues to be passed between the warps where the mailcords continue to open the shed of the warps 5 and as the interweaving is required to vary from small portions of the width to the whole width, and sometimes to take place near one selvage and at other times toward the opposite selvage, the shuttle-thread is required to be carried across the whole width at each operation.

In' weaving such like forms by hand the cloth, as woven, is taken up by the weaver in the portions of the width in which the interweaving has taken place, and when the interweaving takes place in less than the whole width the weaver is required at each operation to pull by hand the surplus weft-thread, or else such surplus weft-thread would be left projectin g from the surface of the cloth.

My said invention relates to machinery for performing all of the said operations automatL ically. The Jacquard machinery, as heretofore, is employed to determine, during the progress of the weaving and at each opera tion, what portion of the width of thewarp is and whatl portion is not to be operated.

A mechanism termed the sectional takeup,and operated by the loom, takes up the cloth as it is woven either along the whole or any portion of the width, and what portion of this mechanism is to be put in action at each operation is determined by the jacquard 5 and a mechanism operated automatically by the loom pulls out to the required extent the surplus of the shuttle-thread whenever the interweaving is performed 011 less than the whole width of the cloth, and whenever the interweavin g is extended across the whole width the operation of this mechanism is suspended by the jacquard.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents the lay, which receives motion, in the usual manner, from cranks at each end of the main shaft b. The lay is suspended and has its axis of vibra-tion above, as a matter of convenience, to afford more room below for other parts of the mechanism.

The Jacquard machinery, of the usual construction, is represented at A. It derives motion from a crank, B, on the main shaft by a connecting-rod, O, in the usual manner.

The warp c is divided into equa-l sections, the number being determined by the judgment of the constructor. The drawings reprcsentit as divided in twenty sections. Each section is wound upon a separate spool, d, and all the spools are mounted on a crcel or frame, e, at the back of the loom. From the spools each section passes up over a roller, f, down under a roller on a tension-weight, g, up again over another roller, and down around a warp-beam, h, in the rear part of the frame. All the warps extend from the beam h through the mails of the jacquard-cords, and then through the reed to the sectional takeup in front. In this way each section of the warp can be supplied independently of the others, while all are under equal tension.

The take-up D is attached to the inner face of the breast-beam of the fra-me, and should have as many sections as the warps, twenty being represented in the drawings. There are twenty (more or less) uted rollers, j, all of equal diameter and length, and all mounted side by side on a journal-bar,k, secured to the ends ot' the take-up frame D, so that each roller can 'turn-thereon freely. The woven cloth l passes over this sectional roller and out in front over the breast-beam, and the cloth is griped onto the several sections of this roller by a series of pressure-rollers, m, one for each iluted roller j. These pressurarollers are mounted in a series of short levers, n, one roller in each lever, and these levers are pressed down to gripe the cloth by the tension of a strip of india-rubber, o, or other spring acting on each separately and capable of being modied in tension, each independent of the other, by screws or other suitable device acting on each. The levers or. of the pressure-rollers m, with their several springs o, are mounted in a frame, E, which is connected with the frame D of the take-up roller by journals p, so that the whole series can be lifted from the take-up rollers to liberate the cloth,if desired 5 or their griping pressure may be increased by turning two screws, q q, which pass through holes in the ends of a bar, o", ofthe frame E and are tapped into the take-up frame D.

Below the sectional take-up roller there is a series of ratchet-levers, s,- one such lever and ratchet or pawl for each liuted roller j. These levers all vibrate on a i'ulcrum-rod, t, mounted in the take-up frame D, and they are so situated that when their lower arms are pushed toward the breast-beam their ratchet hands or pawls take into the flutes or ratchet-teeth of the rollers j and turn them to take up the woven cloth.

I deem it best to have two ratchet hands or pawls on each lever, and to have one slightly shorter than the other, so that they will en'- gage the teeth on the rollers alternately, and I thus avoid the necessity of making the teeth or flutes on the rollers very ne, and I also prefer to use weigh ted instead of spring pawls.

Cords u extend one from each of the said levers s, pass under roller c, and are attached to the niai1-cords to of the jacquard, taking care to have the cord ot each lever connected with that section of the maiLcords of the jacquard which controls the corresponding section of the warps, so that when any of the warps of a section are operated by the jacquard the lever s of the corresponding section of the take-up will be drawn toward the lay until it strikes a stop-bar, yx; and as the range of inotion of the mail-cord of the jacquard is greater than the motion given to the lever, the cordwhich is attached to the lever has a section of india-rubber or other substance which will yield, and when the lay makes its forward beat to beat up the weftthread a bar, x, secured to the front face of the race-beam of the lay by screws inserted through slots, so as to project forward to any desired extent, will strike the lever s, vibrate it in the opposite direction, and thus turn the tinted roller j the required distance to take up the woven cloth in a corresponding portion of its width. The bar fr should be made adjustable to admit of varying the amount of take-up. In this way it will be seen that the jacquard merely sets the levers of the take-up, and that no portion of the power required to take up the cloth is borne by the jacquard, but is all derived directly from the lay. It should be observed that by the time the lay strikes the levers ot' the take-up the jacquard has made its return motion and liberated the cords by which the levers of the take-up were set.

The shuttle al is operated by a pair of carriers, bl b, which slide in suitable ways in the race-beam of the lay. Both carriers are alike, and each consists ot' abar tted to slide in the ways, and having a standard at the outer end, from which an arm, c1, extends inward and parallel with the bar. To the arm is connected a spring-catch lever, d1, by a fulcrum-pin, el, situated at about the middle of its length.

The shuttle, near its back edge, is formed with a groove in its under side, extending from each end to withinl a short distance of the middle, which grooves receive the arms c1 of the carriers; and the upper face of the said shuttle is grooved in like manner to receive the inner end of the spring-catch levers d of the carriers, each of which, at the proper time, catches over a cross-pin in the said groove to hold' the shuttle on the arm. The shuttle being held on the arm cl by the catch-lever d* ot' one of the carriers, and both carriers being set in motion toward the center of the lay, as the two carriers approach each other the arm and spring-catch lever of the opposite carrier enter the grooves of the shuttle, and the catchlever snaps over the cross-pin in the shuttlegroove and takes hold of the shuttle, and at the same time the tail end ot the catch-lever of the carrier which carried the shuttle in is depressed bya pin, e3, to liberate the shuttle. In this way the first carrier is made to liberate the shuttle as the second takes hold of it, and the motion of the two carriers is then reversed to move them back to theiroriginal positions, and in doing this the shuttle is carried entirely across the warps to the other side preparatory to another operation in the reversed direction.

To guidethe shuttle from one carrier to the other, and to preventthe arms and catch-le vers from catching against any of the warpthreads, thereis athinplate, f1, attached to the back of'each carrier, one of them a little farther back than the other, and slightly inclining hack, so that as the carriers approach they shall lap by each other, and in so doing direct the shuttle and the carriers so that the arin and catch-lever shall properly enter the grooves of the shuttle. rlhese plates are a little wider than the thickness ot' the shuttle and a little longer, and pointed at the outer end, so as to spread the warp-threads and prevent the arms and catch-levers andthe shuttle from catching and breaking any of the warpthreads.

As the catch-levers of the two carriers are to be opened alternately to liberate the shuttle, the pins c3 c, for that purpose, project from two short arms, gl gl, hinged at their upper ends to the lay, and the lower ends of both are connected by a rod, hl, so that they shall vibrate together; and one end of this rod is in turn connected by a link with one arm of a rock-lever, i, on the lay, and this rock-lever has two arms, t'l and jl, which are alternately acted upon by two tappets, kl hl, projeetin g from the back face of a tappet-wheel, Zl, that turns on a stud-pin on the lay; and this wheel has four pins, ml, projecting` from-its front face at equal distances apart, which are acted uponin turn by a spring-catch, nl, hinged to one ofthe carriers, to turn the said wheel a quarter of a revolution every time the carriers approach each other in the middle of the lay. This causes the tappets kl to vibrate the double lever il jl, and alternately in opposite directions, and thereby place the pins c3 c3 on the arms gl gl in the positions required alternately to operate the catch-levers of the carriers. Above the tapi'iet-wheel tl there is a lever, 0l, drawn down by a spring, so that its face shall bear on two ot' the four pins, ml, to prevent the wheel from being turned by jars after the catch nl has turned it. a quarter of a revolution.

rIlle carriers are both moved inward toward the center' of the loom by cams pl pl on the main shaft, which depress two levers, q q. The outer ends of these levers are connected by a bar, r', and from the middle of this bar two straps or cords extend up and pass in opposite directions, each over a roller, s', mounted in hangers from the under side of the racebeam, andthe ends of these cords are attached to arms t t', extending down from the carriers, and which slide in slots 'made for that purpose in the race-beam; a-nd to the said arms t t are attached two other straps, u' u', one to each, which pass over two other rollers, o yv ,near the end ot' the race-beam, and extend down, and are attached to two levers, w w', one on each side of the loom and outside of the frame, and these levers are depressed simultaneously and at the required time by two cams, a" x', one on each end of the main shaft.

The forms and relative position of the two sets of canis pl and a" are represented -in Fig. 6.

For the purpose of drawing out the surplus u weft-thread after each throw of the shuttle,

when the interweaving is performed on less than the whole width of the cloth, there are two thread-paliers, c2 c2, one on each side of the loom, and so located that they shall operate near to the selvage of the cloth. As both thread-pullcrs and their connections are alike, the description of one will answer for both. The thread-puller consists of a finger, c2, with the forward end curved a little downward to prevent the thread from escaping from under it. It is hinged to the upper end of a rod, b2, and is provided with a spring, c2, which holds` it at the required angle to pull the thread, and the spring is of such delicate tension as to `yield and liberate the thread when it has been pulled to the requisite extent. rlhe rod b2 is in like manner hinged to the end of a lever, d2, and held at the required angle by the ten- .sion of a spring, e2. The lever turns on a fulcrum-pin, f2, at the back of the looin, and is drawn upward by the tension of a spring, g2, and it is depressed against the tension by a cam, h2, on the main shaft, the form of which cam is clearly represented in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The thread comes out of the front edge of the shuttle al, and, as will be seen, when the thread-puller is elevated the point ot' the nger is between the front edge of the shuttle and the reed, and it gets to that elevated position before the shuttle is brought home, so that when it is depressed by the cani h2 the uger is sure to catch the thread and pull it down until the required tension is given to it to insure that there shall be no portion of Vit left loosely projecting from the surface of the cloth when woven, and beyond that tension' the iin ger will open and liberate the thread.

Vhen the interweavin g is extended entirely across the whole width ofthe warps, the operation of the thread-pullers must be suspended, and this is effected in the following manner: On the side of the lever d2 there is a projecting pin, ft2, against which a catch-lever, j?, catches to hold. down the lever d'2, and with it the thread-puller, in the depressed position. The catch-leverj'2 rests on the periphery of an oval cam, k2, on an arbor, Z2, and from this arbor project four large ratchet-teeth, m2, which are acted upon to turn the cam a quarter of a revolution at a time by a spring ratchet-hand, n2, on one end of a lever, o2, the other end of which lever is connected to a cord,p2, attached to a needle of the jacquard. Then this lever 02 is operated by the jacquard, the cam k2 is turned a quarter of a revolution, bringing it to the position represented in Fig. S of the drawings. That lifts the catch-lever j2 to the position represented, liberates the lever d2, and sets the thread-puller into action, and it will continue to act until the jacquard again operates the lever 02, turns the cam another quarter-revolution, which permits the catchlever jl to catch the lever d2 of the thread-puller, and there hold it out of action until the next change is indicated by the jacquard.

As before stated, there is one thread-puller on each side of the loom, both constructed alike and having like appendages, and each.

operated by a separate cani onthe main shaft, and each is provided with a separate mechan ism connected with the jacquard; and it is necessary that they should be separate, because at times one must be out ot action While the other is in action.

The yielding of the arm a2, so as to allowr the thread to slip off and escape so soon as it is sufficiently tightened, allows the arm d2 to be operated uniformly Whether there is much or little slack thread to be gathered, and avoids the necessity which might otherwise be experienced of giving a varying range to its motion suited to the varying length ot' slack to be gathered in weaving gores.

1n this kind ot' Weaving it is important that the reed should beat up the weft-threads veryclose to the sectional takenp, and this result cannot be obtained with a dy shuttle, for the reason that the ily shuttle must have a wide :race-beam before the reed ou which to travel 5 but by combining` with a sectional takenp mechanism shuttle-carriers substantially such as herein described, a surface for the shuttle to run on is dispensed with, and the difficulty pointed ont thereby avoided.

By the means above described .the Weaving operation can be carriedA on at any portion of the Width of the cloth and suspended at other portions of the width, and this may be done along any desired portion of the length, so that the cloth, instead of being Woven flat, as ordinary cloth is Woven, can be produced with gore-like swells, which, when made into corsets, will tit the protuberances of the body, or answer any other purpose requiring such irregular weavingu What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Operating; the sectional take-u p roller by levers which are set by the jacquard and operated to take up the Woven cloth bythe beat ot' the lay or the mot-ion of some equivalent part of the loom, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

2. In combination with the sectional takenp roller, the series of pressure-rollers and the frame in which they are hung, with its connections, so that While each can yield independently ot the others the Whole of them can be lifted from the take-up roller at once or the tension of their springs increased, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The thread-pullers, in combination with the jacquard and theintermediate mechanism by which the jacquard is ina-de to determine when the said thread pullers shall be thrown in or out of action, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Connect-ing,l the finger ot' the threadpuller by means of a spring with the mechanism by which it is operated, so that it shall liberate the thread so soon as it shall have nation with the sectional take-up, kor the cquiraient thereof7 substantially as and for the purpose described.

WM. nnnirnns'rnin.

Witnesses WM, H. Brsnor, ANDREW DE LACY. 

